Think about the most compelling moments in Tiger Woods' public life: not one of his miraculous shots or exuberant fist pumps, we're talking about moments when Woods shows personal emotion, when he doesn't seem like an otherworldly creature.

They invariably involve his dad.

Earl Woods, who died Wednesday, brought out the human side of the world's best golfer. Tiger Woods can go long stretches without appearing especially human -- walking briskly down the fairway with that steely look in his eyes, relentlessly chasing another victory. He seldom interacts with fans and his news conferences typically flow with predictable, guarded answers.

But when Woods found his father after completing his historic Masters win in 1997, he embraced Earl in a long, warm bear hug. And when Woods delivered his victory speech at Augusta National in 2005, he spoke spontaneously and powerfully about missing a similar hug, because his dad was too sick to come to the course.

Even last month, when Woods presented Phil Mickelson with the Masters green jacket and Mickelson graciously asked the crowd to say a prayer for Earl, Tiger offered a telling response. As Mickelson sat down, television cameras caught Woods saying, "Thanks," and softly tapping Mickelson on his leg.

Golfers tend to have a special bond with their dads -- maybe because many dads introduced their kids to the game, maybe because playing 18 holes requires spending several hours together. Mickelson mimicked his dad's swing in the mirror (hence, he came to play left-handed). Woods used to sit in his high chair and watch Earl practice.

Jack Nicklaus, whose career offered young Tiger a road map, recently spoke fondly of his father and his difficulty playing tournaments in the months following Charlie Nicklaus' death in 1970.

Earl Woods took the role of golf father into uncommon terrain, given his visibility and his brash predictions of greatness for his son. Many of those predictions came true, but shaping and humanizing Tiger counts for something, too.

The Daly diary: John Daly's latest foray into the headlines is easy to dismiss in some respects -- merely more candid revelations about his wacky life. But Daly is veering into treacherous territory if his gambling problem is as consuming as portrayed in his autobiography, "John Daly: My Life In and Out of the Rough."

Daly was at his entertaining best in October at Harding Park, where he and Woods engaged in their memorable duel. Then, after losing on the second playoff hole, Daly addressed his frustration by driving to Las Vegas and losing $1.65 million in five hours, according to the book. Yikes.

No wonder PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem quickly met with Daly on Monday. The New York Times quoted Daly as saying of Finchem, "He's just concerned. He thinks gambling is an issue."

And for good reason. Daly's weakness is $5,000 slot machines, but what if his addiction ever leads him into betting on sports? Like, say, golf?

PGA Tour regulations prohibit any player from having a "financial interest" in the performance of another player, and a violation brings a minimum two-year suspension. The player handbook also forbids "associating with people whose activities, including gambling, might reflect adversely on the game of golf."

This is not to suggest Daly would gamble on his own sport. But public interest in golf has spread to the casinos -- Chuck Esposito of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas said the game has "exploded into a popular betting sport" in the past five to 10 years. Caesars routinely posts odds on tournaments, head-to-head matchups and other "props." The outlet is there, in other words.

Finchem can be overly conservative at times, but he's absolutely right to worry about Daly's gambling confession.

Wie's bid: Michelle Wie was among the 8,584 players who officially entered qualifying for the (men's) U.S. Open. It's a longshot, but Wie would elevate the prestige of the women's game if she makes the field at Winged Foot.

Wie will play in a local qualifier in Honolulu, as will another woman, 15-year-old Carmen Bandera of Duluth, Ga. Last year, Wie shot 76 and failed to advance.

Local qualifying for the Open begins Monday at sites including Brentwood, Pasatiempo (Santa Cruz), Del Rio (Modesto) and Madera (near Fresno). Among the sectional venues is Lake Merced, on June 5.

Briefly: Jay Haas Jr. advanced through the Monday qualifier, becoming the third Haas to make the field at this week's PGA Tour event in Charlotte, N.C.; Jay Sr. and Bill also will tee off. ... The Spanos Tour comes to Harding Park for a tournament starting Monday. ... Cañada College in Redwood City will reinstate its men's program and add a women's team. The women will begin competition in August and the men, whose team had been placed on hiatus in 2002, will resume play in February.